MANCHESTER United chief executive David Gill put the club's controversial takeover to one side to help launch an education conference aimed at showing how football can be used to fight racism.

Mr Gill spoke to delegates gathered at Old Trafford just after it was announced that Malcolm Glazer has passed the 90 per cent threshold needed for complete ownership of the Reds.

The conference, organised by Kick It Out, the sport's anti-racism campaign, brought 200 teachers, football coaches and community group representatives together to talk about how an interest in football could be used within the National Curriculum to promote anti-racism and citizenship.

Mr Gill spoke in support of the campaign but would not been drawn on the takeover.

He said he had heard the US tycoon had bought 97.3 per cent of the shares, but added: "I will not be detracting from these proceedings by talking on any other subject." He described how the Reds work with Kick It Out all year round to help combat racism in football and he hoped the conference would help continue that work.

Other speakers at the event, which was sponsored by the National Union of Teachers, included Salford Reds star Kevin McGuiness, M People percussionist Shovell and Wales' first black player George Berry. Lord Herman Ouseley, chairman of Kick It Out, said: "Education through both formal and informal means is essential to changing attitudes, behaviour and engaging young people.

"When the government made citizenship teaching compulsory in 2002, it was universally welcomed.

"Football's achievements of taking formal learning and engaging excluded young people have also been positive.

"This conference will set out the means through which football can help to build self-esteem, self-belief, self-confidence and self-respect as the fundamental basis of educating all our young people for citizenship."